Chapter 895 - 627: Respect
"Mr. Lu Ruian, we Dragon Country people have always believed in getting rich through hard work, so we tend to wake up much earlier."
Xia Liang casually explained, as the two waited in line for a while, and finally entered the store.
"Brother, you brought this little foreigner again today, huh?"
Just upon entering the store, a staff member recognized Xia Liang and Lu Ruian, especially since yesterday's incident where the foreigner snatched steaming soup dumplings from the customer's plate, something they hadn't seen in many years.
"Yes, this little foreigner didn't have enough yesterday, so he came early today."
Xia Liang nodded with a smile, exchanged a few words, and soon two baskets of soup dumplings were brought over by the staff.
"Mr. Xia Liang, I won't stand on ceremony."
Looking at the steaming soup dumplings in front of him, Lu Ruian's eyes lit up, and he was about to dig in with his hands, only to find them too hot, causing him to yelp in surprise and draw curious looks from the people around him.
"Mr. Lu Ruian, our Dragon Country is known for being a land of etiquette, especially during meals, and using hands directly is considered quite uncivilized."
Xia Liang said, handing the chopsticks to him, "To enjoy Dragon Country cuisine, learning to use chopsticks is essential, and it's also a sign of respect for the food."
Lu Ruian felt somewhat embarrassed, as they usually eat bread directly with their hands, and it's become a habit.
However, he greatly agreed with Xia Liang's words, but looking at the chopsticks in front of him, he found it quite challenging.
He had tried using chopsticks yesterday but found them really hard to manage.
"Mr. Xia Liang, why is the tableware in your Dragon Country made up of two sticks? Aren't knife and fork better?"
Lu Ruian asked out of curiosity.
"Knife and fork?"
Xia Liang smiled at him, having hosted quite a few foreign tourists over the years, many foreigners have asked this very question.
"Mr. Lu Ruian, you might not know this, but our Dragon Country started using tableware very early on."
"The history of using spoons dates back roughly 8000 years, forks around 4000 years, as for chopsticks, although uncertain, roughly about 3000 years too."
Xia Liang explained with a smile. To foreigners, the knife and fork might seem advanced, but in reality, they were just utensils our Dragon Country discarded ages ago.
Listening to Xia Liang, Lu Ruian's eyes filled with disbelief. Being from Eagle Country, with only around two hundred years of history, hearing someone casually talk about thousands of years was indeed shocking.
"Since your Dragon Country people have such a long history with spoons and forks, why aren't they used now? Aren't Dragon Country people the strongest advocates of traditional culture?"
Still in shock, Lu Ruian posed another question.
"Mr. Lu Ruian, I must say you've raised an excellent question. While the soup dumplings are still a bit hot, let me explain to you in detail."
Xia Liang said with a smile.
The reason we seldom use spoons and forks nowadays is mainly due to their historical elimination and replacement by chopsticks in Dragon Country.
"Actually, what we now refer to as chopsticks in Dragon Country started as 'Jia' during the Zhou Dynasty, known as 'Zhu' in the Han Dynasty, and gradually transitioned to 'Kuaizi' during the Ming Dynasty."
"In early times, the division of labor between spoons and chopsticks (or rather 'Jia') was clear – spoons were for eating rice, while 'Jia' were used to pick up vegetables."
"In the Han Dynasty, the term 'Jia' evolved into 'Zhu', and even today, chopsticks haven't entirely replaced those terms. For instance, the southeastern coastal areas of Dragon Country still retain the term 'Zhu'."
"The first to call 'Zhu' as 'Kuaizi' were in Ming Dynasty's Wuzhong, namely the regions of Suzhou Prefecture, Changzhou Prefecture, and Songjiang Prefecture."
"The term 'Kuaizi' originated from taboos. In Jiangnan's water towns, the boats avoided the term 'Zu' and its similar sounding 'Zhu,' so they reversed it to 'Kuai,' carrying hopes for smooth sailing."
"By the Qing Dynasty, with cultural exchanges between the north and south, the term 'Kuaizi' spread and entered the common lexicon."
"Our Dragon Country is the birthplace of chopstick culture that later spread to Island Country and South Yue, where they have no such taboos; hence most still refer to chopsticks as 'Zhu'."
"..."
Listening to Xia Liang eloquently explain, Lu Ruian felt dizzy. He hadn't expected these two simple sticks to have such a long history and profound meanings.
Keep in mind, Western knife and fork were only invented in the 16th or 17th century, and before that, Dragon Country was on the verge of discarding the very knife and fork that they painstakingly invented.
"Mr. Lu Ruian, have a look at this pair of chopsticks; its craftsmanship is quite meticulous."
"One end is round and the other square; round symbolizes heaven, square symbolizes earth, aligning with the notion of 'round heaven and square earth', a fundamental understanding of the world by Dragon Country people."
"When using chopsticks, the thumb and index finger are on top, ring finger and pinky below, with the middle finger in between, representing the triad of heaven, earth, and humanity, reflecting Dragon Country people's understanding of the relationship between humans and the world."
As Xia Liang spoke, Lu Ruian also tried using the chopsticks following Xia Liang's demonstration, but it still felt awkward.
"Moreover, the standard length of chopsticks is seven inches and six points, symbolizing the seven emotions and six desires in humans, and expressing the fundamental differences between us and animals."
"The uses of chopsticks go far beyond eating; they also serve for acupressure, massage, and scraping therapy."
"In ancient times, people traveling with a pair of chopsticks could manage any ailment themselves; even if forgotten, a fallen branch or reed could be broken, rubbed against a stone, washed in water, and made usable."
Seeing the chopsticks in front of him, Lu Ruian was stunned by Xia Liang's words, not expecting such simple-looking chopsticks to not only be culturally and historically rich but also multifunctional.
"Mr. Xia Liang, I was ignorant earlier, didn't realize there was so much behind chopsticks."
Lu Ruian put down the chopsticks, looking at Xia Liang seriously.
He respected the culture of every country, especially things with thousands of years of cultural history; he was deeply impressed.
"You're too kind, Mr. Lu Ruian; it's your first time in our Dragon Country, so it's normal to know less."
Xia Liang smiled, feeling a sense of pride swell within him.
Our Dragon Country's cultural heritage spanning thousands of years is certainly unmatched by countries only established within the last one or two centuries.
As the two talked, the soup dumplings were no longer too hot, and although Lu Ruian still struggled to use chopsticks, he persisted.